Mi Corazón
by MakazeNoRei
Summary: A group of fanfics, based on the RP site Adler's Gulch. Tells the story of two character, Reine La Roux and Joaquin Romero, how they met, their adventures, and the truth behind their shadowed past. Rated M for mature.
1. Once Upon a Time In Mexico!

**Author's Notes:** *clears throat* Okay, this is my first fan fiction, so just to clear up a few things - the story is based of an western rp site called Adler's Gulch on AR2. It is actually set prior to the site's current events. It involves two character's from the site, Reine La Roux and Joaquin Romero. More about the characters is explained in the story, so I won't bore you with a long list of details. The fanfic traces their mysterious and shady relationship back to the very beginning where they first met, to their adventures, and some of the events leading up to the present time of the site. The story is rated M due to violence, gore, sexual themes, drug and alcohol use, and possible perversion, among other things.

* * *

**_Once Upon A Time In Mexico_**

Three year. That's how long it had been since the half-bred young woman had been wandering after being forced to flee for taking retribution on the ones that has caused her so much pain, the ones whose had taken away the only family and friends this world had given her. Three years of fleeing, impersonating a bounty hunter, getting odd looks and whipsers, all to reach the haven that lay across the Mexican borders. Three years she had run and now she had found it. The only problem was, this haven was no different than any other hell hole of a town that she'd been in since leaving the Indian Territories back in Oklahoma. The only lingering difference was the scarcity of U.S. lawman.

Sitting at one of the tables in a small dusty canteena, actually it was the only canteena, considering the town of Rio Verde was rather small in comparison. Even calling it a town was stretching it, this was nothing more than a village with a couple dozen farmer, their families, and the occasion travelers that tended to wander these parts, people not unlike herself. It was here Reine sat, lost in the depths of her mind as she pondered her next steps. When she'd fled for Mexico, Reine had neglected to figure out how exactly she expected to survive in Mexico with no friends or family. Fate had smiled on her once, giving Reine a true sign of what she thought was redemption in bounty hunting. That dream, however, was very short lived.

Reine was just as white as she was Indian, but the white's never saw it that way. No matter how many outlaw she brought in, no matter how many towns she had saved, she was still nothing more than an bloody savage. If it had simply been a matter of race, Reine believed she could have cooped. The Indians had long since had shaky ties with the white, but worse was the corruption. Dirty sheriffs, politicians under the pocket of outlaws, all willing to shed blood at the drop of a hat, as if human life had no more meaning than the price that could be earned from it. For someone who had been brought up that all life was precious, it made her sick to her stomach. Perhaps she could have remained a bounty hunter here in Mexico, but Reine had seen the path the gun had led many down and she was tired. She'd seen enough blood to last a lifetime, all she wanted was peace, even if meant giving up the gun.

Her dark brown eyes stared down at the half empty glass of lukewarm water in the tinted glass. Watching it swirl as she tilted the glass, Reine took another sip, managing to glance up at the faint noise of commotion outside. It was faint at first, the sound of hoof beats, but as the drew closer to the canteena, the pounding of horse hooves. For whatever the reason, likely from the commotion as the hooves grinded to a halt, a thick cloud of dust was thrown into the air, well visible even from where Reine was sitting. Outside, she could hear what sounded like whoops and hollers of men outside, a rather noisy bunch for sure. Reine spared a final glanced before going back to her drinking, thinking nothing of the matter since no one else in the canteen move, figuring the ruckus for nothing more than a group of Mexican cowboys.

No sooner had Reine lower her gaze, however, than the doors of the canteena flew open with the force of whirlwind, allowing the cloud of dust to drift inside from behind the figure which now strode confidently into the canteena. Several more figured trailed in behind the first, their coarse laughter and cheerful faces completely lost on the young woman, who never so much as lifted her gaze, keeping it hidden beneath the rim of the old cowboy hat.

* * *

As the men strode up to the bar, they began to take their places and order their drinks. There were probably a good twenty or more, but any of the locals knew all to well these men were not cowboys. Rio Verde was a small town and there were no Don, or Spanish landowners here, and certainly none of the farmers were wealthy enough to own perhaps more than a dozen head. No, these men were far more notorious figured in Mexico, these men were bandidos and everyone in the canteena seemed to be aware of that, save for one who never so much as bother to glance up in acknowledgment.

As the drinks began to flow, a few toasts were given in Spanish. Meanwhile, a few of the waitresses were flirting with the men, while some had decided to sit next to them or even on the laps of such men. In the center of it all stood a young man in his mid-twenties dressed in a dusty, white button up shirt and trousers. His steel gray eyes seemed to smile at his laughter as the cheers of 'salud' and 'viva la capitan' began to die off. "Si, si, your sentiments are much appreciated, but I didn't not do this alone and tonight we will have fiesta to celebrate." The man explained, attempting to wave them off as he tilted his bottle of tequila back and taking a long swig.

The men cheered once more at the suggestion of the celebration, but no sooner had the men began downing their drinks did one of them decide to interrupt. "Does this mean your going to find yourself a senorita to share the evening with as well?" One of the men teased.

"If that's the case, he'd better hurry. This is a small town and there are not many women here, and this one - is taken." The man who spoke clarified as he wrapped his arm around the waist of the girl sitting on his lap, causing her to let out a short yelp before proceeding into a giggle that soon all the men had joined in the amusement.

The capitan could only chuckle lightly and answer with a simple, "Perhaps, perhaps." By that time, something had caught his attention from the corner of the room, something he would have missed if he hadn't had his back against the bar. Taking another long swig of tequila from the bottle, he reached over, just enough to bump the man next to him in the side and call his attention. "Miguel... Miguel," Joaquin's voice had dropped off into an odd whisper as he glanced over at his Lieutenant and second-in-command, if one could call it that.

Miguel was downing another shot of the fiery liquid when he'd felt the bump and instantly shot a curious look at the one responsible. "What's the matter, Joaquin? Something wrong?" He asked dully. As he often did, Miguel didn't have the keenest sense of humor, even on a good day he retain a staunch seriousness about his features.

"Look over there and tell me what you see," Joaquin explained as seriously as he could muster, careful to keep his voice to minimum, which wasn't hard with all the noise the rest of the bandidos were making.

Miguel gave Joaquin and odd look at first, a bit unsure if he was serious or playing some childish joke. His brown eyes fell to the table in the corner, studying the figure the best he could for a few seconds, but there was nothing that struck him as odd about the figure. Turning around and looking at Joaquin, Miguel threw back another shot. "I see a man at a table and minding his own business." Miguel answered, a biting sarcasm to his words.

"Yes, I know, that is what I thought at first as well." Joaquin explain with an oddly enthusiastic smile.

"If you knew, then why did you ask me?" Miguel retorted, suddenly arching an eyebrow in realization at the other man's expression. "What are you getting at?" He asked skeptically.

A rather large, clever grin crossed Joaquin's face at the man's question before admitting his assumption. "I think that is not a man... I think it is a woman."

Miguel's expression suddenly dropped slightly, giving Joaquin a drop dead, serious look. "Capitan, I mean no disrespect, but I fear you have been out in the sun to long."

"I have not been in the sun to long," Joaquin retorted, albeit a bit louder than he probably shoulder have. Quickly correcting his error, Joaquin cleared his throat, leaning in a bit. "I am telling you, Miguel, that is not a man. That is a woman, disguised as a man."

"Joaquin, be reasonable for once. No senorita is going to dress up like a man and do a man's work, it just simply isn't done." Miguel explained in some vain attempt to talk some sense into his capitain. "There are ways this world is suppose to work and no one is going to risk their life dressing up like a...." His words suddenly came to a halt as his gaze dropped over to where Joaquin was sitting. Well, perhaps more accurately had been formerly sitting. As he often did, Joaquin would not listen to reason and was on his feet before he could stop him. "Joaquin," Miguel hissed through clench teeth as he turned around to the sight of Joaquin who had taken a few steps away from the bar.

Joaquin glanced over her shoulder just enough to flash a clever, boyish smile. "Calm down, I am simply going to prove which one of us is right." He explain, tilting his tequil bottle back once more. "If I'm right, then perhaps I will have some company tonight after all, in which case it will be much more fun, si?" A joyous chuckle escaped his throat as his steps drew away from the other bandido.

"And if you are wrong, we all get to see a bit of fun, aye, Capitan?" Miguel answered with a laugh, throwing back another shot of tequila as Joaquin made his way past a few of the men before finally coming to a stop at the edge of the table. Oh, this was certainly going to be entertaining, no matter what the outcome would be, Miguel had no doubt about that in his mind.

* * *

As the footsteps came to a halt, the figure at the table finally ventured to lift their eyes to the side, but not entirely. They stopped about half way up, resting on the gun belt around Joaquin's waist. For a moment, it got a bit quieter inside the canteena, in part because a few of the bandidos had ceased their ruckus as their attention followed their leader over to the table curiously. Taking a scan of the room, the figure finally spoke but never bothered to look up. "You looking for something?" The voice was clearly uninterested, but an answer never came. Well, at least not a spoken with.

Joaquin''s hand had reached up away from his belt and up towards the figure, taking a hold of the hat brim that was blocking his view of the person's face and lifting the hat right off her head. No sooner was it removed, than it no longer hide her long dark locks tucked beneath and they soon fell, spilling loosely down her back and shoulders. Joaquin's eyes rested on the figure that had seeming changed from some dusty stranger into a girl, a much prettier one than even he had been expecting.

Unfortunately, the removal of her hat inquired and instant reaction from Reine whose hand shot up to grab the hat in surprise. "Hey! Give the back!" Reine ordered in irritation, her temper slightly overriding her surprise as the man's boldness. There were three things you didn't do in the west: you didn't touch a man's horse, you didn't touch his guns, and last but not least, you never touched his hat. One of these infractions was enough to instigate a fight and Reine was no exception to this belief.

Joaquin raised an eyebrow as the woman spoke, pulling the hat out of her reach as he gave an amused smirk. "Well now, it seems we have a gringa in our midsts." Joaquin stated, recalling the protest had not been in Spanish, but English. Honestly, if she'd of spoke spanish, Joaquin would've easily mistaken her for a woman of Mexican blood due to her appearance. However, this was far more interesting. Mexico saw it's share of Americans from time to time, but most of those were men. Their women were a far rarer sight and one had to cross the border if he sought such company.

"That's none of your business." Reine growled as she rose from her seat, reaching for her hat once more. She was clearly in no mood, only wanting to be left alone and in no mood for games.

Joaquin held his arm straight up and a bit back to keep it from her reach, smiling as she rose from the table, putting barely a few inches between them as she struggled to obtain the cowboys hat. "Oh?" He began as if he didn't know that before laughing once more. "Come now, angel, it's just a bit fun." Joaquin tossed the hat over to the bar, not to far from where Miguel was sitting. Grinning like a fox, he quickly let his free hand suddenly slipped around the young woman's waist as he stepped forward, taking hold her of her in strong embrace and pulling her closer to him.

"So, what'd you say you say we go have a bit more fun in private, huh?" Joaquin asked in a provocative tone, a deep chuckle escaping his let his other arms slip around her.

Reine's face had now flushed a bright shade of red at his innuendo, both offended and rather embarrassed by such a bold move. There was another part of her, however, a part that was overriding even her own humiliation and that was unbridled fury. Feeling his other hand began to slip down her back, Reine reacted. "Don't called me that." She growled in a deadly tone. "Now, let me go." She ordered sharply as she lifted her boot and slammed it as hard as she could straight down on the top of his foot.

Needless to say, Joaquin immediately removed his hand, letting out a yelp as he loosened his grip. Reine's slipped her arms free of his grasp and immediately gave him a hard shove, using his own imbalance stance that had been meant to guard his foot against him and sending him backwards, into and rolling over a nearby table, taking the rickety table with him as he hit the floor with a loud clunk.

Several of the bandidos' jaws dropped in shock and truthfully in a bit of amazement at the woman's actions. Swapping glances among their themselves as if unsure of what action to take. No one had ever been bold enough to do such a thing to Joaquin, at least, none that had lived to tell about and certainly none that were cross-dressing women. Whether it was better to deal with the matter on their own accord or stand back and wait for Joaquin's wrath, none of them seemed to sure.

Miguel could only shake his head and let out a sigh at the sight, as the young woman whirled around and suddenly started over towards the bar where he was sitting. He straightened up as she approached, backing away to give the girl some distance and keeping his hands up in front of him as a gesture that he wasn't going to try anything. Miguel's english wasn't nearly as sharp as Joaquin, but he didn't have to speak the language to know what had caused the matter. He stepped aside, allowing her to step past him and pick up the hat that Joaquin had tossed onto the bar.

Meanwhile, Joaquin sat up slowly, having quickly recovered from the fall and shaken most of it off. He was simply more stunned than actually hurt, but even he had to admits that was not what he had expected. Then again, Joaquin had never had a woman so blatantly refuse his advances, Mexican or gringo, let alone pull a stunt like that. "Damn. Do all the gringos teach all their women to fight like you?" He questioned seriously before a clever grin returned to his face. "If so, I can certainly see why Santa Anna lost." Joaquin spoke sarcastically with a chuckle as he heaved himself up to his feet and dusted himself off.

Reine shot Miguel an icy stare, before her hand reached out and picked up her hat. Plopping the worn black cowboy hat back on her head, she had glanced over her shoulder to the Joaquin as he bounced back onto his feet and started over towards the bar. "I told you, that's none of your business. I ain't looking for a fight, so just leave me alone." Reine answered coldly, still in no mood, but attempting to walk away. For a former gunslinger, she wasn't that found of killing or shedding blood unless she had to. Aside from that, right now, all she wanted was to be left alone, but that seemed far to much to ask.

She returned her focus on the bar, intent of paying for her drinks and maybe a room for the night, but before Reine could ever remove the money from her pocket, she felt the familiar grip of a pair of arms as they coiled tightly around her body. Stunned, Reine froze up at first, clearly not expecting it. Her gaze shot back over her shoulder to see the devilish grin of the young bandido, a subtle smirk and amused expression on her face. He had clearly closed the gap with his longs stride and now had her hands pinned close to her figure, the long duster pressed tightly against her and cutting off her path the the gun beneath her coat. A bit of a rough tug threatened to push the air from her stomach as his grip tightened like a constrictor around her waist, just enough to that he could rest his chin on her shoulder, next to her ear.

"Really now? Well, that's a good thing to know, since I'm not looking for a fight either." Joaquin practically purred into her ear.

A shudder ran up her spine, but Reine didn't struggle. Instead, she remained rather still, dropping her head so that her eyes became obscured by the brim of the hat as her lips formed into a tight line, "I'm giving you two seconds to let go of me or, by God Almighty, I'll make you regret it." She growled under her breath.

Joaquin's expression dropped a bit, contemplatively, before grinning again and tightening his grip, doing so as if in a daring manner. "And what if I refuse?" No sooner had he spoke than Joaquin's foot shot out of the way, narrowly avoiding the woman's own as it slammed down, clearly in hopes of catching him off guard again. Letting out an amused laugh, Joaquin stepped in closer, using his own weight as a momentum to, more or less, pick her up. It was not all that hard, but certainly enough to knock a bit of the wind and fight out of the young woman, at least in most cases it was. "Uh-uh-uh." Joaquin spoke as if correcting a child. "You've got a lot fight for the face of an angel, but I don't fall for that same trick twice."

To say that Reine was a little taken back by this whole ordeal was a complete understatement. For starters, he had picked her up, something no one had done since she was a child and lived to tell about it. Two, he had the gaul to treat her like a child, a very big mistake. Letting out a faint cough as Joaquin let her down so that her feet rested on the floor once more, Reine allowed her shoulders, seemingly in defeat. He truly had her at a disadvantage in this state and that alone caused her blood to seethe in irritation. "That's to bad." Reine answered almost sweetly, before adding a final word. "Then I guess we got to do this the hard way." Reine suddenly dropped her weight to her knees as her forearms shot up and outward, breaking Joaquin's grip. Throwing her elbow up, Reine whirled around with every intent to catch him in the face or jaw and knock the unholy hell out of him.

Thankfully, despite his teasing and flirtatious manner, Joaquin had been quick enough to let go and dodge, just in time to avoid the elbow directed at him. Pulling back, Joaquin allowed the young woman's own speed to carry her around and back to where she was facing him. Perhaps the teasing had gone a bit to far at this point, but then again, he'd never known a woman who could move with such speed. She had a true fire in her eyes now and he could not hide the satisfied smile on his face. Pushing himself forward, Joaquin took hold of one of her wrists, partly to avoid her making any sort of counter attack and harming either herself or more importantly, him. However, before he could procure the other hand, a sharp pain rushed through his head and his vision went black.

* * *

Watching the entire ordeal, a few of the men had jeered on as the scene played out and the young woman actually been swapping blows with the capitan. Meanwhile, Miguel only chose to watch. Honestly, he wasn't sure what Joaquin was thinking in picking such a fight. No woman was worth so much trouble and certainly not one that fought more like an Indian. As the thought crossed his mind, Miguel lit up a hand rolled cigarette before taking a long drag and letting out a trail of smoke. His gaze returned to the scene just in time to catch what happened next and one that caused the cigarette to slip from his mouth and onto the floor, if in nothing else that pure disbelief.

* * *

Reine's adrenaline had kicked in somewhere between her move at freedom and feeling the hand on her wrist. "Let Go!" Reine barked, a final warning before instinct took over. In a split second, her free hand grabbed the closest thing she could find on the bar directly behind her. Unfortunately for Joaquin, that just happen to be half-full bottle of Mexican tequila. One good swing and Reine hit her mark, catching him in the side of the head and sending him stumbling a few paces before the bandido hit the floor, out cold. Now the action had been done in more of a panic than any actual intent, acting before she'd realized what she had done or what had happened. As he hit the floor, however, the reality sunk in and Reine took a step back, her weight falling against the bar as she steadied her breathing.

The broken tequila bottle in her hand, none of the bandidos seemed sure what to think, although there apparent shock was more painfully evident on their faces. "Capitan?!" One of he men shouted, as a few made a mood to check on their fallen leader. Even Reine had to question in her mind whether or not he was still alive, especially after a hit like that.

Rising from the bar, Reine started over slowly, making her way over to where Joaquin had landed. The second she'd started, however, a few of the bandidos had whipped around to face her. "Who the hell do you think you are, bruja?" One of the men barked in Spanish, as a couple of them went for their gun.

Reine's hand was already in her coat, withdrawing the 1851 Colt Revolver and taking aim at the man closest to her, cocking back the hammer. "Just try it. You'll be dead before your hand reaches your belt." Reine growled sharply. The men slowly began to let their hands fall to the side as Reine made her way over to where Joaquin had fallen. While a few of them watched with a weary eye, they were either hesitant to make a move or had noticed Miguel wave them off.

Something about this young woman, like Joaquin, caused him to hesitate. The look on her face, while fierce before had almost soften in some degree as she made her way over to Joaquin, kneeling down over him. "He breaths?" Miguel questioned curiously.

Reine was leaned down on one knee over the the bandido, her hand resting on his wrist. Letting out a sigh, there was no doubt he had a pulse and was therefore still among the land of the living. "He's breathing and he'll come around sooner or later." She answered, hearing the question from over her shoulder. Mainly, Reine simply wanted to make sure she hadn't killed him. She'd of felt a bit guilty for such an act of instinct, even if he had been a pain in the ass earlier. Honestly, staring down at his unconscious and peaceful expression, he wasn't nearly as bad as before.

With her conscience relieved, Reine attempted to rise, but was suddenly stopped short as a hand coiled around her's once more. Surprised at first, Reine glanced down to the bandido, who was slowly regaining consciousness. Somehow, she doubted he was going to be all to happy to see her after what had happened, even if it was his fault.

* * *

His head ached and spun as his eyes fluttered open, blinded by the bright rays of the sun and the shadows that seemed to dance around him and the mumbling of noises that he couldn't quite make out. As his eyes slid open, the light and shadows soon became figures. It was the darker one in the center, larger and closer than the rest it seemed, that seemed to gain his attention though, as the light behind it seemed to illuminate it in a nearly heavenly glow. As pain rushed through his head once more, Joaquin was near sure he had died. He felt light, weightless, yet he was relatively sure this was not hell. A cool hand slid against his own, soothing away the fear of doubt. Perhaps this really was as he had heard as a child, what he had learned at the mission, the stories of angels and paradise, stories of heaven. Although, after what he had done in this lide, Joaquin never thought he would've seen it.

Above him though, now lingered nothing short of an angel, a thought that was only reaffirmed as a feminine figure came into view. However, as it began to pull away, without thinking Joaquin reached out and closed gently around the hand. "Angel... don't go." The words escaped his lips in a hoarse whisper, barely audible to any around him. The figure lingered for a moment as Joaquin strained to blink, his eyes finally beginning to clear and a face became visible. It was a face he knew, a face he had seen before, very recently. "¡Estoy enamorado!" Joaquin spoke a bit more clearly as he rested his head back against the floor.

* * *

Reine hesitated at the grasp, glancing back at Joaquin and catching the whisper of his words. The second he'd said it though, Reine regretted hesitating, because her entire face suddenly flushed a bright shade of red. Pulling her hand lose, Reine wasn't sure what to make of his condition. He wasn't dead, but he looked a little bit out of it. She rose to her feet as he spoke once more, this time more clearly. However, Reine's Spanish was still rather new and this was not a phrase she was familiar with. "What did he say?" She asked hesitantly, glancing over at Miguel who had picked up the cigarette and decided to join a few of the other bandidos who were now staring down at their capitan.

Glancing over at her, Miguel gave a hesitant look before a smirk appeared on his face. "I believe in your language, it means, I think I'm in love." Miguel tried to explain in a bit of broken English.

Reine gave him a rather distasteful look before dropping her gaze to the man now sprawled out on the floor. "Great, so I did hit him to hard." She added sarcastically, tossing the broken bottle aside as a few of the bandidos were finally able to get Joaquin to recognize them and onto his feet, sort of.

He was a little wobbly at first, but soon enough Joaquin stumbled up his feet. Glancing around the room, Joaquin searched it before finding Miguel. "Aye dios mio." Joaquin began, still holding his head in pain. "What happened?"

"Your advances we're rather unwelcomed and since you refused to see reason, she hit you with a bottle, of very good tequila I might add." Miguel explained, recalling the story with a rather amused grin. Not that he liked to see Joaquin get hurt, but it did the younger man good sometimes to be knocked off his high horse. Even so, Miguel always assumed it would be a man to do so to the likes of Joaquin and no some Indian, although he neglected to mention that part to Joaquin.

"She?" Joaquin questioned a bit puzzled at first ".... The senorita!" Joaquin stated in remembrance, as his eyes darted around the bar. Somewhere in the mayhem, however, she was no where to be found. The only hint that anyone had left was the swinging door on the canteena.

Truthfully, Reine hadn't seen much use hanging around if the man was still breathing. It was not her place, since she was no longer a bounty hunter or a gunslinger. Among the mix of chats and while Miguel was explaining to Joaquin, Reine had slipped out the front door and started down the streets. She'd hoped to linger in this town a little longer, but with a rather cantankerous group of men, who were probably furious with her, that didn't seem like a plausible idea.

* * *

Back in the bar, Miguel was giving Joaquin a look as if contemplating he had been hit far to hard. "Joaquin, where are you going?" Miguel asked arching a skeptical brow.

"I'm going to find her." Joaquin answered as if it should have been obvious.

"Her, her who?

"The girl."

"You don't even know her, why do you want to go after her?"

"No, but you saw her fight. She is just what we need."

"This is a bad idea." Miguel began seriously, turning to face Joaquin with a knowing look. "That woman's nothing but trouble."

Joaquin glanced up at his old friend skeptically. "If you recall, you said the same thing about me." He reminded him.

"Yes, and I was right." Miguel retorted.

Joaquin gave him a sour glanced, before shaking his head. "I'll be back." Joaquin explained turning and starting out the door.

"And if you don't come back, we'll know she killed you this time." Miguel called after him before letting out a long sigh of defeat.

"... You don't actually think the Capitan won't come back, do you?" One of the bandidos pipped up.

Miguel took another drag of the cigarette, letting out the smoke in a long breath before shaking his head. "No, if there is one thing to be said for Joaquin, it's that he always comes back. My guess is, no witch is going to change that." He explained, resting his back against the bar.

"Bruja?... You don't really think she's a witch, do you Miguel?"

"No, perhaps not, but she's something more than a gringa and for that reason, it's better to keep your eyes open." Miguel explained as his eye fell to the door that Joaquin had just left, letting out another drag.

* * *

Reine hadn't made it far down the street when a far to familiar voice caught her attention. "Wait!... Angel, wait." She hesitated glancing back over her shoulder, before letting out an inner groan. Turning around to face him as he caught up, Reine gave the young man a skeptical look as he approached, clearly cautious of what he was about to do.

"I told you not to call me that." Reine retorted in a low tone. "What'd you want?" She asked hesitantly.

Joaquin came to a halt only a few feet from Reine, although he hesitated to get any close and instinctively held his hands in front of him. "Take it easy, senorita, I'm not here to fight." Joaquin explained reassuringly. "It's just that I... I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier and I really think we got off on the wrong foot, as you gringo's say." He spoke sincerely with a weak smile, not that he could've blamed her for smacking him right now.

Reine watched him for a second before apparently not buying into his apology. "Tch. I'm not a gringo and I'm not interested in an apology." She answered, turning away and giving him a cold shoulder as she started over to a nearby hitch post.

At first, the bandido didn't seem quite sure how to take the answer. He didn't hesitate to follow, however, and managed to keep pace with her as she made her way across the street. "Then, what are you interested in? Most people don't come here out of choice, ang...senorita." Joaquin explained, catching himself before he called her by the wrong name. A faint chuckle escaped him as the neared the hitching post. "You know, it'd be a lot easier to talk to you if I knew your name." He added with a smile. "Joaquin, Joaquin Hidalgo Romero, senorita." Joaquin explained, offering a friendly hand shake.

Reine rested her hands on the hitching post, pausing lightly at the question and contemplating the outcomes. A part of her was reminding herself of the dangers that came with being a bounty hunter, but another was quick to recall that she was no longer a bounty hunter, not anymore. She'd given up the gun, it was over. There was no one to protect and no one to fight. Finally, giving a heaved sigh, Reine answered. "Reine, Reine Gabriel La Roux." She stated, lifting her hand to join his in the gesture.

The second she'd said her name though, a grin spread across Joaquin's face and a laugh escaped him, forgetting that he still had hold of her hand. "Gabriel?" He repeated, clearly in a bit of disbelief.

"Yes, what of it?" Reine questioned, giving him a look that almost dared him to explain his reason.

"It's nothing, it's just... it's very fitting." He explained, leaning down a bit to place a kiss on the top of her hand. "An Angel's name for the beauty of an Angel. Fitting indeed."

Reine hadn't been expecting Joaquin to do such a thing and instantly her cheeks flushed, quickly slipping her hand free from Joaquin's grasp. "Y-yeah, well....I got some matters to attend to." Reine attempted to explain a bit nervously.

"Really?" Joaquin asked skeptically. "Then, I shall accompany you." He decided.

"What?!" Reine asked, surprised at first. She couldn't believe how bold he was and wondering exactly what she had got herself into this time. "N-No, I don't need any-"

"Nonsense, it would be rude for a gentleman to allow a lady to go alone. Besides, it would be my deepest honor, senorita." Joaquin added with a cool smile.

Reine gave him a skeptical look before letting out a sigh. Somehow, after everything that had gone on, he refused to leave her alone and nothing she could do seemed to get the point across. For the time being, she was just going to have to put up with him. Perhaps a little company after such a long time alone, wouldn't be so bad?.....


	2. Path Of The Gun

**Chapter 2: Path of the Gun**

The sun was starting to slip down into the sky as the unusual pair made their way down the street of the tiny town of Rio Verde. To be honest, Reine wasn't sure what Joaquin hoped to gain by sticking so close, but he seemed set on fulfilling that goal. He'd tagged along with her ever since she'd cracked him over the head with a tequila bottle earlier in the day, why she couldn't figure out unless he was up to something. Although, what that was exactly, Reine was having a devil of a time figuring out. "You know, you really don't have to do this," Reine explained for about the fifth time in the past ten minutes. He was either very thick or very stubborn; in any case, Reine couldn't seem to persuade him that keeping her company wasn't a good idea. One would have thought being hit in the head with a bottle would've been enough, but perhaps she really had hit him too hard.

"I told you, senorita, I am here of my own accord," Joaquin retorted with a clever smile, glancing over at the young woman who still seemed a bit skeptical of his presence in general. "For what I did earlier," he began seriously, immediately seeming to get her attention. For someone who didn't want his company, she was at least very astute on keeping up with him. "I wanted to apologize and make it up to you. It is only fair after I caused you so much trouble," Joaquin admitted seriously. "Please, angel, it is a matter of honor," he added with a boyish grin, as if hoping to prevent her from turning him down right there and then. Not that he could've blamed her, but Joaquin was hoping she wouldn't be able to resist.

Reine's reaction though was clearly confusion, as she arched a brow in a bit of annoyance and irritation. After a few minutes of looking him over, she finally let out a long sigh in defeat. "I'm not going to get rid of you, am I?" She asked tiredly, receiving an answer as he shook his head. Clearly, he was intent on sticking around and she'd already tried losing him, which had failed, so perhaps it was better to just accept it. "Fine," Reine declared tiredly, rubbing her temples with her hands as she glanced back up at him. "If it's a matter of honor, then so be it, but we're setting some ground rules," she explained seriously, making sure he got at least this part through that thick skull of his.

"Ground rules?" Joaquin repeated, a bit confused by the notion. Honestly, most women would have been more than happy to have a young man follow them around and wait at their beck and call, but this one seemed to find the friendly company more annoying than enjoyable. "Very well, senorita." Joaquin let out a sigh. He really was going through a lot more to please this girl than he'd ever gone through before. "Such as, my angel?" he finished with a clever smile.

"Such as, don't call me Angel.... ever." Reine answered, her tone holding more than a bit of annoyance. She gave no more description than that though, and continued on in her steps, unaware that Joaquin had suddenly dropped off the pace.

Actually, he'd stopped, not that Reine would have noticed. She seemed far too focused on something Joaquin couldn't hope to figure out. However, her annoyance at the simple term had clearly piqued his interest. He had no clue why anyone would get annoyed by a simple nickname, especially one that was more of a compliment than common slang. "Why?" Joaquin blurted out without thinking very far ahead or considering the possibility that she might have a real reason for disliking the term.

Reine shot him back a stern look as he picked up his pace once more and caught up to her. "None of your business, I just don't like being called Angel, okay?" she explained, hoping to satisfy his curiosity and put the matter to rest. The second she'd glanced back up at Joaquin though, Reine started to regret telling him anything, let alone the fact that she didn't like it.

Joaquin flashed a smile, as if in understanding, but a sly devilish smirk hid just behind his steel gray eyes. He was not a man to be so easily deterred, certainly not by a single woman. "If you say so," he seemed to decide before a smirk crossed his face. "I'll just call you Gabriel then."

This time it was Reine's turn to stop dead in her tracks as Joaquin kept walking, closing her eyes in annoyance. "Don't call me that either. That might be the only thing worse." She attempted to catch up to him, keeping her eyes ahead this time. "Call me La Roux, Reine, anything. Just don't call me that," Reine added, shaking her head a bit in frustration.

"Anything else you'd like to add, my lady?" Joaquin spoke up with a devilish smile. He was intentionally picking his words to make every nickname worse than the last, teasing her a bit, but it was hard to resist at such a silly request. Of course, he'd already seen her dislike for him or anything that hinted at the two of them in a romantic sense, such as nicknames, so he was a bit on his toes, just in case she changed her mind and decided she really should have hit him harder back at the bar.

Reine was nearly about to pick up the conversation until she heard what he'd called her and somewhere it was the final breaking point. He really had a death wish; that was the only way to describe a man who would tempt his luck so many times in one day. She was starting to wonder where the hell he got off in annoying her this much. "You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?" Reine asked tiredly with a sigh. She couldn't take any more games today. She just wanted to find a quiet place on the outskirts of town and be left alone for a while, but apparently, in this town, that was too much to ask for.

Joaquin watched the young woman, studying her expression curiously. "Yes," he answered straightly, barely managing to dodge as she swung a hand out to smack him in the arm. "Come on, I was only teasing," he attempted to explain before rejoining her at her side. He couldn't deny she had one heck of a right hook for a woman. "At the very least, you can tell me why you don't want me to call you such a thing, especially when it's so fitting." This he had to hear because none of her actions made sense to him. She was so strong, fiery, and yet there was such sadness behind those eyes of hers it just didn't seem to make any sense. Looking at her was more like looking at some sort of puzzle and Joaquin needed a few more pieces before he was going to be able to figure out any more about her.

Reine hesitated a moment, glancing over at Joaquin as if still searching for a motive before returning her gaze to the path ahead. They were nearing the edge of town as the last rays of the sunset faded, so it didn't make much sense to follow a stranger out to these parts. "It's a long story," Reine finally admitted, tugging her hat down a bit. "One I have no intention of explaining to someone I don't know," she added firmly.

Joaquin arched a curious brow, falling silent for a moment. "You really do not like people very much, do you?" he suddenly asked, a bit out of the blue, as if realizing something unnatural.

Reine shot him a dirty look in annoyance. "Gee, you figure that out on your own or did you have help?" she answered sarcastically.

He gave her an odd look but kept following, although his gaze had started to wander to the rocky hills around them. They were getting a good ways from the edge of town, not that Joaquin was all that worried; he was just having a difficult time figuring what anyone would come out her for. "Where are we going?" Joaquin suddenly piped up, holding back a grin as Reine's gaze trailed back to him in disbelief. If she assumed losing him would be this easy, clearly she had another thing coming.

Unfortunately, that had been Reine's exact plan. Most people weren't mad enough to walk out into the desert and sooner or later they'd get tired and go back. Something about Joaquin clearly wasn't sane, of that much Reine had proven already. "'We?" Reine repeated the phrase in a bit of shock. "Oh no, there is no 'we'. There is me and there is you, who can't take a hint even if it hits him upside the head with a tequila bottle," she corrected matter of factly, suddenly hesitating in her tracks.

The bandido could only let out a sudden laugh. "So you keep reminding me, but last time I checked you and me make a w-" His words stopped short when he noticed that she was no longer beside him. "Senorita?" Joaquin questioned aloud, turning around to find Reine as serious as death itself. A part of him wondered if he had finally pressed his luck too far, but before he could even speak, Reine made her move. Her hand was already on her belt, slipping leather as the shimmer of a gun appeared from its holster, glittering in the pale light of the full moon. The next sound was one Joaquin would never forget. As the barrel fell towards his figure, a crack of gunfire rang out in the darkness. The whiz of the bullet passed only inches from his head, far too close for comfort by any standard.

Before Joaquin could speak, a faint cry sounded from the rocks behind, causing him to whirl around sharply just in time to catch a figure plummet from the rocky outcropping about a hundred yards ahead of the direction they had been headed. Stunned didn't even begin to cover what he was feeling, but a small hand suddenly took hold of his arm and snapped him back to reality.

"Get down, you moron," Reine hissed, doing everything she could to drag him with her around the small outcropping of rocks to take cover. As soon as they'd dropped to the ground, several more shots rang out, ricocheting off the rocky ground around them and the boulder sized rocks behind them.

"What the hell is going on?" Joaquin cursed, searching Reine's face for an answer. For starters, why were they suddenly getting shot at? Why did she nearly shoot him and where in God's name had she learned to shoot like that? A million questions raced through his mind as the firing guns began to slow and then finally cease and everything fell quiet once more.

Reine kept her back pinned tightly to the rock, her thumb on the hammer of the gun as the shots came to a halt, not chancing to answer the man's question. She wished she could have, but Reine wasn't really all that sure of what was going on herself. If she hadn't seen the rifle barrel reflecting in the moonlight and reacted when she did, there was no doubt that they both wouldn't be breathing. They'd of both probably been gunned down, likely by sniper fire in the gully. Even so, for someone to go to the trouble of setting up an ambush and trying to gun them down out here wasn't a random act. Something about this clearly stunk. There were any number of culprits who could've had a desire to shoot someone in the desert, but whether it was Joaquin or herself they were after was hard to say. Not that it would've been odd; being a bounty hunter didn't make you many friends. Anyone who would've tracked Reine all the way to Mexico couldn't be acting randomly. Reine didn't have to wait long though before an old familiar voice cut through the silence of the night as a low chuckle echoed through the rocks around them.

"As sharp as ever, aye, La Roux?" Her eyes widened slightly, recalling the voice almost instantly and paling at the recollection. An inaudible curse slipped from under her breath as her hand reached into the other side of her coat, revealing a second pistol. Even in the shadows, Joaquin could still see her expression and the sudden look of anxiety that seemed to wash over her was not a comforting sight.

"Hey... Hey, what's wrong?" Joaquin asked in a hoarse whisper, but Reine didn't answer.

A low clank of steps echoed down the narrow gully, the click of spurs against the rocky ground grew deafening as they drew closer to the pair's hiding place, coming to a halt within about fifty feet. "You going to keep on hiding like a rat or are you going to come out and fight? You and me got some business to settle, Ms. La Roux," the male voice explained in an amused toned, allowing a wide smirk to spread across his face that Reine could already feel without even turning to face him.

"You came a long way to track down some has-been bounty hunter, didn't you?" Reine suddenly spoke up, quietly shoving the second pistol into Joaquin's hand and motioning for him to run.

"Bounty hunter?" Joaquin added under his breath in shock and utter disbelief. "You're a bounty hunter?!"

"Yes, but is this really the time to be discussing my occupational choices?" Reine hissed back as a bullet struck the top of the rocks above where they were sitting. "Would you quit firing that peashooter? You're going to hurt someone with that thing," she called back, before returning her gaze to Joaquin. "Get out of here, now," she hissed, pushing herself up from the ground slowly and stepping out from behind the rocks. Reine was hoping the man was smart enough to make a run for it, especially considering the reason for this mess was she. As her dark brown eyes fell to the figure in front of her, a somber look fell across her face. "Joshua Slade," she addressed with a low tone of disgust. "What do you want?"

Joshua was probably in his mid-twenties, with mess of dark brown hair and green eyes, looking every bit the rustler than he was in his long brown duster and hat. A soft laugh escaped him as she called his name, and he started forward slowly. "I'm surprised you remember me, darlin'." Joshua spoke with a cool smile, stopping in front of her. "After all, you only killed my brother and nearly put a rope around my neck," he recalled their last encounter, one even Reine hadn't been so easy to forget. Joshua had been a rustler in Texas; he, his brother and a few others had made up a small gang, one of several that had arisen during the years of the civil war. They'd earned themselves a small bounty when they'd stumbled into the half-breed young woman. In the end, Reine had killed Joshua's brother, Ezra, in self defense and arrested Joshua. Although, if the rumor she'd heard before crossing into Mexico was true, then Joshua had escaped jail and his appointment with the gallows for the murder and rape in El Paso.

"So, what do you want? Better yet, how'd you know where to find me?" Reine questioned skeptically, shifting a bit although the smile he was giving her was starting to make her a bit nervous. If he'd come here for a fight then perhaps she wouldn't have been as worried, but something still wasn't right about this whole matter. Had he really intended to kill her? If he wanted her dead, he could just as easily pull a gun on her, but Joshua looked as calm and content as could be. Actually, if she didn't know better, he looked a bit too happy to see her.

"Well, you see, rumors started spreading that you decided to 'give up the gun' as it were. Said you left the title, retired from bounty hunting, and headed south. To be honest, I couldn't believe anyone as talented with a gun would be so willing to turn over a new leaf, so I thought I'd come see for myself," he explained, lifting a hand to push Reine's cowboy hat up before removing it completely and tossing it on a nearby rock. Meanwhile, he allowed his free hand to come to her chin to raise it so that he could look her in the eye, letting out a sigh. "You always had such a pretty face. I'll never understand why you see fit to hide it under a hat." A slick smile flashed across his face as Reine flushed a bit and pulled her chin away, taking a few steps back. After watching her for a second, he quickly picked up the conversation once more, returning to the subject. "In any case, after a shot like that, I'd say you're still as sharp a gunslinger as ever. Luckily for you, sweetheart, I didn't come here to pick a fight."

Reine was too focused on Joshua to go for the hat, although this whole matter was starting to unnerve her now. Then again, his flirting always seemed to bother her, but even more so now. While it was a relief he hadn't come here for trouble, or revenge for that matter, it didn't serve to settle her mind any. "So...? What do you want then?" Reine began hesitantly, narrowing her gaze just a bit. "The two of us ain't friends, so why come this far? Did you really come here to simply confirm gossip and to mock me? Either way ... I'm in no mood for your games, Slade, so get to the point," she said a bit more sternly.

Once more a deep chuckle escaped the rustler's throat as he took a step forward, his long stride closing the gap between them. Instinctively, the bounty hunter started to back up before realizing that she'd run out of places to run and the cool feeling of stone hit her back, leaving her up against the rock face of a nearby cliff wall. Her eyes widened a bit, realizing what he'd done, but before she could get away Joshua's palms came to rest on the wall, one of each side of her head, blocking her in and making it impossible to get away. "Isn't it obvious?" Joshua asked seriously, leaning in a bit closer. "I told you, I came here for you," he answered with a devilish grin.

Reine wasn't sure she liked where this was going, but swallowing lightly to wet her dry throat, she found the nerve to speak. "I thought you said you didn't come here to fight?" she reminded skeptically.

Joshua flashed a clever smile at her words, leaning in just a bit. "I didn't. Afraid I had something else in mind, something far more... 'beneficial' to the both of us," he explained in whispered tone, emphasizing the term beneficial as one his hands slipped down and snaked it's way around Reine's waist, pinning her to his chest. The other slid down and took hold of her right wrist that still held tightly to the pistol, pulling her body closer to his own.

The second she felt his arm around her waist, Reine attempted to push away from Joshua, but considering the man's size over hers, that was easier said than done. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Let-" Before Reine had the chance to finish the protest, Joshua had lifted her a couple inches off the ground and slammed her forward. Unfortunately, with nowhere to go, Reine's back was the first thing to hit the stone wall and the suddenness and force behind the action served to knock the wind out of her. Likewise, the force and Joshua's placement of his hand had served to loosen her grip on the gun, causing it to fall and clatter onto the ground. Her back throbbed as she let out a few sharp coughs, searching for air through the pain in her back and abdomen, her eyes shut tightly. Somewhere in back of her mind, Reine was cursing at herself for not paying attention or realizing that Slade had been setting her up completely. Even worse, she was now alone, unarmed, and injured with an outlaw who had a good reason to kill her.

Kicking the gun away, Joshua returned his footing to keep her pinned. "I wouldn't get any ideas, darlin'. You and I both know why you're here, so why don't you stop your games and I'll stop mine?" Joshua explained, his tone becoming a bit more somber as he spoke.

Reine's eyes struggled to open as she fought back the pain that came with breathing. "What are you...?" Reine hesitated, noticing the smirk on his face. He said he'd known the real reason she was here, but she was convinced no one knew that reason, not the 'real' one.

"Come on, sugar, just admit it... You're as much an outlaw as I am. Otherwise, you'd of never left the reservation. Isn't that right?" Reine thought her heart had hit her throat at Joshua's words, her gaze shooting up at him in shock and disbelief. Up until now, she'd managed to fool everyone, so how the devil had he learned about that? It had been a couple years since the incident, something Reine thought she'd never have to think about now that she had finally reached Mexico. But it seemed the past had a way of catching up with her. Joshua's smile widened a bit at her surprise as he reached up to lift her chin once more. "I'm here to offer you a deal, Reine. Come back to Texas with us, help me and the boys and I guarantee it'll be worth your while," he said reassuringly, letting his fingers trace the edge of her cheek, brushing a few strands of hair from her face.

Lifting an eyebrow, everything suddenly seemed to connect. "You came here to blackmail me?" Reine questioned coldly in disgust. "Give me a break. Why the hell would I help someone like you? I killed your brother, remember? And given half a chance, I'd shoot you too without so much as a second-" Her words caught in her throat as the cold metal of a knife blade rested at her neck.

* * *

With a faint chuckle, Joshua shook his head before locking eyes one more. "I told you, darlin', I ain't concerned with the past. I'm offering you the chance of lifetime, Reine.... Do you really think you can get by, by simply hiding out in Mexico and laying low. Sooner or later, they'll get wise and when they do, they'll put a rope around that pretty little neck of yours." Joshua explained softly, letting his fingertips graze the skin of her neck from her jaw to her collarbone. "I'm giving you a chance to show them what true power is, to move up in the world. Do you really think I'm just going to let you turn it down?" There was a cold tone in his words, a clear threat to his true intention.

Bitting down on the inside of her mouth lightly, Reine had closed her eyes as his words and touch sent a shudder up her spine. She didn't have to question what he meant, she was smart enough to read between the lines. She was out here alone and no longer with a gun, she didn't stand a chance against him and his gang. There was no way, Reine could accept the offer, but if she didn't Joshua wasn't just going to let it go. Chances were, he would rape and kill her here. There wasn't a way out of this and that knowledge alone caused her to start shaking lightly as the fear welled up in her throat. "Nah, I guess not... But before I give you my answer, let me remind you of something." Her dark eyes flickered up in the moonlight as Joshua's expression sombered. "It'd take a lot more of man than you,... to beat me with a gun." As the words left her lips, her grip tightened on his shirt, pulling him forward as her knee shot forward and rammed hard into his groin.

The reaction was nearly immediate as Joshua slumped to his knees in pain, cursing as a glitter of metal found itself next to his throat. The old dagger was free of it's sheath and had found it's mark against Joshua's jugular vien as the cocking of a few guns could be heard in the darkness. "Call 'em of off," Reine ordered coldly as Joshua choaked out a curse.

"You'll never reach that gun, La Roux. You kill me and your as good as dead anyway." Joshua reminded with a nasty smirk. "Face it, you've got nothing left." He added before feeling the blade press a bit more tightly to his throat, smiling at the annoyance on Reine's face. She knew she was cornered and like any animal, there was a low sense of fear and hate burning behind those dark eyes as reality set it. After everything she'd done, this was finally how it was going to end.

* * *

With a faint chuckle, Joshua shook his head before locking eyes one more. "I told you, darlin', I ain't concerned with the past. I'm offering you the chance of lifetime, Reine.... Do you really think you can get by simply hiding out in Mexico and laying low? Sooner or later, they'll get wise and when they do, they'll put a rope around that pretty little neck of yours," Joshua explained softly, letting his fingertips graze the skin of her neck from her jaw to her collarbone. "I'm giving you a chance to show them what true power is, to move up in the world. Do you really think I'm just going to let you turn it down?" There was a cold tone beneath in his words; a clear threat that revealed his true intention.

Biting down on the inside of her mouth lightly, Reine closed her eyes as his words and touch sent a shudder up her spine. She didn't have to question what he meant; she was smart enough to read between the lines. She was out here alone and no longer had a gun; she didn't stand a chance against him and his gang. There was no way Reine could accept the offer, but if she didn't, Joshua wasn't just going to let it go. Chances were he would rape and kill her here. There wasn't a way out of this and that knowledge alone caused her to start shaking lightly as the fear welled up in her throat. "Nah, I guess not... But before I give you my answer, let me remind you of something." Her dark eyes flickered up in the moonlight as Joshua's expression sombered. "It'd take a lot more of man than you... to beat me with a gun." As the words left her lips, her grip tightened on his shirt, pulling him forward as her knee shot forward and rammed hard into his groin.

The reaction was nearly immediate as Joshua slumped to his knees in pain, cursing as a glitter of metal found itself next to his throat. The old dagger was free of its sheath and had found its mark against Joshua's jugular vein as the cocking of a few guns could be heard in the darkness. "Call 'em off," Reine ordered coldly as Joshua choked out a curse.

"You'll never reach that gun, La Roux. You kill me and you're as good as dead anyway," Joshua reminded with a nasty smirk. "Face it, you've got nothing left," he added before feeling the blade press a bit more tightly against his throat, smiling at the annoyance on Reine's face. She knew she was cornered and like any animal, there was a low sense of fear and hate burning behind those dark eyes as reality set in. After everything she'd done, this was finally how it was going to end.

* * *

Unfortunately, Joaquin had been too captivated by the whole matter to simply up and leave, a little worried leaving now would draw too much attention. Dumbfounded didn't even begin to describe his shock at everything he was hearing. As the conversation continued though, something about it caused a cool smirk to appear on his face in understanding. It all made sense now, why she was here, what she was, and why they were here. Oh, Miguel was never going to believe this story when he got back. Even so, it seemed the time for listening was over and unfortunately for them, Joaquin had no intention of returning alone. The gringos had come looking for a fight and it seemed fate had served to put him exactly where he needed to be.

"I wouldn't count on that, gringo," Joaquin called out, his voice echoing through the cliff walls, making it hard to tell how many people were talking or what direction they were coming from. The second a voice had joined in though, Joshua and his men started looking around in surprise. "She is with us and I'm afraid I can't let you interfere with that," Joaquin explained, the enigmatic voice echoing across the rocks.

"Who the hell...?" Joshua began cursing, attempting to get to his feet before a gunshot rang out and one of his men fell to the ground. The men instantly bolted back, but with no idea where the shot had come from, they were searching for a ghost as a target.

Reine wasn't as easily fooled by the refracted sound, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it. Of all the suicidal morons, that voice belonged to none other than Joaquin. Problem was, she'd told him to leave and stay out this. Not that she could fault him for not listening to her now. Actually, she was going to have to remind herself to thank him if they got out of this alive because he might have just saved her tail. Reaching over quickly, Reine retrieved the gun on the ground before straightening up and backing away from Joshua nervously.

A soft clicking sound in disappointment came before Joaquin picked up the conversation once more. "You move and every one of you will die before you ever get out of this canyon," he warned coldly. As another man went for his rifle, Reine reacted, whipping the end of the pistol around as the bullet hit its mark, before returning to the figure of Joshua Slade.

"Whoah. Take it easy, La Roux," Joshua began quickly, now on his feet and backing up slowly. He apparently understood the anger and desire for retribution that now lingered. "Come on, can't we talk this out? I got a few shots at you; you took out a few of my men. It's nothing to be sore over."

"You two-faced son of a jackal, I ought to bury you for what you were thinking of doing," Reine shot back coldly, beyond simple annoyance now. Her blood was boiling and nothing would've satisfied her more than to put a bullet in the man right then and there. Slade had stirred up a tornado, now it only seemed right he reap what he'd sown.

A few steps emerged from behind Reine and as her gaze whipped around to the tall figure at her rear, his dark gray eyes smiling, his hand came to rest on her shoulder. "That's enough, Gabriel. You made your point," Joaquin explained softly, leaning in just a bit. "It's shame enough that a man would beg for his life in such a manner, let alone after what he was trying to do. It's not worth the bullet," he said calmly, hoping to coax her down. Joaquin took note of that fire, that urge to kill, the desire to bring retribution, the rage in her expression. This was truly the bounty hunter they spoke of, as much a demon as an Angel.

"Who asked ya? Anyone who defends the likes of her is off his rocker," Joshua snapped sharply. He didn't get far though before withdrawing from the cold look Joaquin was giving him.

"Get out. Or I'll spare her the trouble and shoot you myself," Joaquin growled, revealing the pistol as Reine lowered her eyes beneath the hat and let the pistol in her hand slip down towards her side. Slade and his men had no clue Joaquin was alone or bluffing, so they quickly took the hint to get going while the getting was good. With a brief nod, Joshua let out a huff of annoyance. Clearly, he wasn't going to let it go this easily, but not many people were stupid enough to face a man with a load.

"Joaquin," Reine began, glancing over at him. She wanted to tell him thank you, yell at him for being idiotic, anything, but the words never came out. Rolling the gun once around his hand, Joaquin returned the gun to her free hand, letting his hand linger on her for a moment with a gentle smile.

Whatever thought Reine did have was quickly interrupted by Joshua when he shook his head, chuckling lightly. "This ain't over, La Roux, not by a long shot. I told you before, I don't intend to leave empty handed." He spoke, letting his hand fall to his coat and withdrawing his pistol.

Reine saw the movement as the moonlight hit the gun, recognizing it, but what happened next wasn't her doing. Instead of dodging, she suddenly found herself pulled to the side as the gun went off. Her right shoulder facing Joshua, she felt the trigger of the pistol in the hand nearest him lift and squeeze, returning the shot as if were second nature. The bullet hit its target straight on, striking Slade through the heart and killing him instantly. The second he hit the dirt, the outlaws on horseback that remained scattered and rode off, leaving Reine shocked and a little dumbfounded by the situation.

"'Are you alright, Angel?" Hearing the voice seemed to bring Reine back to her senses and she glanced over her shoulder at Joaquin. His chest was against her back and his arm around her waist tightly. It soon became obvious what had happened; he'd pulled her out of the line of fire. His own shoulder was facing where Slade had been and as close as Reine was to him now, she was fairly well defended. He let his right hand slip off of the gun and her hand, releasing his grip a bit. He was the one who'd really pulled the trigger.

"Y-You just... Why did you?" Reine couldn't get the words out, suddenly realizing just how close she was to Joaquin. He was still holding her, his arm around her waist.

"You've saved my life earlier. I couldn't simply let you leave - I had to repay my debt... Besides, there's no harm in a young man saving a damsel in distress, is there?" Joaquin explained with a cool smile, recalling that she had done the same for him earlier. Although, for some reason or another, Reine quickly decided to move his hand and step away. He'd grabbed her like that earlier, but at the very least, this time she did not hit him with anything for it.

Reine pulled away and shook her head. "You don't owe me anything and I'm not a damsel in distress." She answered a bit coldly, returning her guns to their holsters.

Joaquin suddenly seemed to get why she was so upset with him and he couldn't resist a soft chuckle. Seemed he'd offended her with that 'damsel in distress' remark. She really was a proud little thing, it seemed. "My apologies. You are a bounty hunter, yes?" he reminded her with a smile.

"Yes... I mean, no. I mean, I used to be before I came here," Reine explained a bit flustered in general. Worse, she was trying to hide the flush on her cheeks at the thought of just how close she and Joaquin had been in those tense moments. She should have hit him for being so insane, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to do it. If a tequila bottle didn't work, Reine was starting to think nothing would.

Joaquin recalled the conversation and let out an over-exaggerated, "Ah," as if in understanding. "Then why come here? The only sorts that venture this far south are outlaws, not former bounty hunters," he explained, nearly quoting Slade word for word.

"Or those that retire and give up the gun," Reine interjected, earning a curious look from Joaquin, who suddenly lifted his eyebrows curiously.

"Give up the gun? Gabriel, just in case you didn't notice, what you did with that gun was a gift," he explained seriously with a long sigh, shaking his head as he made his way over to where she was standing. Reaching over, Joaquin lifted Reine's chin lightly so that he could see her eyes, staring into them for a moment before he spoke. "The path of the gun isn't chosen, Angel. It chooses you and when that happens there's no going back. It's not something you can run away from so easily." Joaquin spoke as if hating to break the news.

Reine pulled her chin from his hands, stubbornly glancing to the side. "I'm not running," she answered, still too proud to admit that she was a coward or ran from anyone. Something suddenly caused her to glance back at Joaquin curiously, noticing he seemed a bit off all of a sudden. "Joaquin...? Joaquin!" The words seemed lost on the young man; he never answered. As soon as Reine had spoken, he swayed forward and his knees gave way. It was only by luck that Reine had been there to catch him from completely hitting the ground, but he was heavier than he looked. "Hey, snap out of it! What's wrong?" Reine questioned as she slipped to her knees with him, attempting to hold onto his shirt. Among the struggle, however, Reine suddenly felt something that caused her heart to hit the back of her throat. Across the backside of his shoulder was a warm, wet spot on her shirt that even in the darkness Reine knew to be blood.

"Joaquin... No." Reine's voice was so hoarse she could barely speak. He hadn't said anything, hadn't showed any signs, why? "You have to stay with me. Come on, please, you can't die." She pleaded desperately to no avail as the tears began to well up in her eyes. That was what he meant by repaying his debt. She'd saved his life and now... now he had saved hers. They were even, but it didn't seem to soothe her conscience. She stared down at the man as he slipped in an out of consciousness. "Joaquin.... Joaquin!"


End file.
